Connect With Smith Rock Project

A creative community outreach project to inspire, connect with, and give back to the people and place of Smith Rock.

I am donating 100% of the profits from the auction of this painting to Smith Rock State Park. Giving back to the park and community that has supported and fostered my growth as an artist and a climber is paramount to who I am and the example I want to set for my generation.

The Park

#1 Why it’s awesome

Smith Rock State Park is a magical place that boasts a beautiful 300 days of sunshine a year and is celebrated as one of the 7 Wonders of Oregon. Established in the early 70’s the park covers over 650 acres and now attracts over 600,000 visitors each year. An international adventure destination Smith Rock has an epic resume of ecosystems, geological anomalies, rock climbing routs, and an extensive trail system for hiking, horses and the occasional llama. The cliffs are made of welded volcanic tuff or clean columnar basalt, and the list of wildlife ranges from golden eagles and prairie falcons to river otters and beavers. Regardless of your skill level or intensity preference there is the perfect build-your-own adventure opportunity at Smith Rock State Park.

#2 Why conservation needs to be a priority

The number of visitors to the park is steadily growing, which means maintaining and preserving the health and safety of the trails and ecosystems is paramount. The Oregon State Park system and local non-profit Smith Rock Group do a fantastic job of making minor changes or taking on large projects to improve and preserve the park without taking away from its natural beauty.

The Project

Meg is a passionate artist and a climber with the dream of making a difference in the world. In 2015 with the help of the American Alpine Club and Smith Rock community she put together a massive 4ft by 8ft triptych painting that highlights the importance of the individual to the community and the details to the bigger picture.

1300+ images ranging from the 1970’s to 2015 collage the base-layer of the painting

120+ people submitted images through social media using the hashtag #ConnectWithSmithRock

6 months of planning and marketing went into the project

It took 110+ hours over three months in the studio to put the painting together

The elaborate process is documented bellow in the form of a time lapse video.

The End Result

The online auction closed April 23rd with the final bid at $950. On April 30th after a day of volunteering at the Smith Rock State Park Spring Thing event, we used the final online bid as the starting bid for the live auction. It was an amazing crowd, fantastic energy and the painting sold for $2,500! All of the funds went to Smith Rock State Park as promised for future projects and park improvements. What’s even better however, is the painting was bought by the owners of Redpoint. So the painting will remain in public view where the community can continue to enjoy and interact with it. There isn’t a possible better ending to this story.

Prints for the Park

Since this project would not exist without the incredible Smith Rock community, Meg will continue to donate a percentage of all print sales back to the park. So even if you weren’t able to purchase the original, there are still ways you can contribute.

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Detail and Process Photos

This sort of painting is meant to be viewed in person so as to get your nose in the details and then shift your perspective to see the picture as a whole. Technology provides a close second to ideal engagement however.

The Community

#ConnectWithSmithRock Instagram Feed By taking advantage of the technology we have at hand and it’s prolific use. Meg was able to gather photos from anyone around the world who used the project hashtag or sent her an email with photos. Here are the most recent tags bellow.

Support and gratitude

This project would not have been possible without a wealth of amazing individuals and organizations. Please take note of these great people and their shared desire to better Smith Rock State Park awareness and aid in it’s conservation and preservation for years to come.